Method of making split fabric



June 12, 1928.

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A. GAGNE METHOD OF MAKING SPLIT FABRIQ 3 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed June 28- 1921 I rave-77 302.-

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June 12, 1928.

' A. GAGNE METHOD OF MAKING SPLIT FABRIC Original Filed June 28- 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet flu guaizln Qagne:

Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST-IN GAGNE, OF CENTRAL FALLS, BHODIE ISLAND, ASBIGNOB TO 11mm COMPANY, OF IPAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION 01' IASSACHUSETTS.

,KETHOD OI MAKI NG SPLIT FABRIC.

Originalapplication filed June 28, 1921, Serial No. 481,144. Divided and this application fled Iovember 27,

i I 1922. Serial No. 803,442.

This inventionrelates to the art of making seamless split fabric such, for example, as is used in hosiery and the like and is a division of my copending application for machines for knitting split fabric Serial N 0. 481,144, filed June 28, 1921.

The objects of the invention will readily appear from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings disclosing instrumentalities capable of carrying out the steps of the method, the disclosure being for illustrative purposes and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagram on a greatly enlarged scale of two sections of fabric united by suture seams and produced by the method embodying this invention; I

Fig. 2 1s a diagram illustrating the two groups of needles employed'in forming the fabric of the invention;

Fig. .3 is a diagram of the various cams for actuating the needles in the carrying out of the steps of the invention, said cams occupying positions for circular knitting;

'Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the various cams in position preparatory to knitting either the heel or the toe pocket of the stocking; v

Fig. 5 is also a diagram of the various needle-operating cams similar to Figs. 3 and 4, the cams in said fi ures being arranged for knitting the 'split' abric of the foot and with the cylinder moving in a forward direction; and

Fig. 6 is a diagram of said cams showing the same in substantially the same positions as in Fig. 5 but with the cylinder moving in the reverse direction.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of operation that will simply and rapidly produce a strong, durable, elastic,

and inconspicuous seamv for uniting in and by the knittin operation, two sections of fabric .prefera ly, though not exclusively, in a sin le needle wale and upon well known types 0 machines such, for example, as the Banner circular knitting machine disclosed in the Hemphill Patent. No. 933,443, a more recent application of said Banner machine being dISClOSOd in the original application aforesaid.

In Fi 1 of the drawings I have disclosed a split abric, the "construction whereof involves the various steps of my invention.

This fabric preferably embodies two sections 12 and 13 united at opposite edges in and by the knitting operation in single wales 14 and 14 formed by alternate terminal loops of the fabric sections 12 and 13, the Wale 14 representing the union of the two sections of fabric at one side, while the other sides of the fabric sections are united by the seam 14' when it ,is desired to form tubular fabric in two sections such as that used in the production of s lit foot hosiery and particularly in cases w ere it is desirable to roduce sectional'reinforcements in either at or tubular webs.

The two sections 12 and 13 of Fig. 1 are shown considerabl abbreviated in order to save space in the rawings, only two needle wales 12, 12' of the section 12 and four needle wales 13', 13 of the section 13 being shown.

In this example the wales 14 and 14' are composed of interknitted alternate single forming the marginal or terminal loops of the sections 13 and 12' although it is distinctly to be understood that the product of the method embodying this invention is not limited to the forming of the double loops upon the section 12 or in arranging said double loops in alternation with the single s of the other section.

he loops of the wales 12' and 13' are substantially similar with the exception thit theyare composed of yarns of different character or color but the loops 16 which have been referred to as double loops and composed of the same yarn that forms the loops of the wales 12' preferably each includes a loop 17 of the usual form or like the loops of said wales'12' and 13' and a second loop and double loops 15. and 16 respectively 18 which constitutes a connection between throat around the closed end of said loop thence laterally to the throat of the loop 19 preferably of the next or adjacent wale 12' which, in the present example, is the first loop of the subsequent course above referred The next loop of the wale 14 and likewise of the Wale 14 is a single loop 15 constituting the terminal loop of the fabric 13 because it is composed of secondary yarn although, as hereinafter described, these single loops are knitted upon the terminal needles of the rimary series. In this case, however, one side of the throat of the loop 15 is connected by a lateral strand with the throat of the preceding loop 21 in the same course but in an adjacent Wale While the other side of the throat of said loop 15 is connected by-an oblique strand 22 with the throat of the primary or first loop 23 formed of secondary-yarn and constituting a loop of the needle wale 13' immediately adjacent tothe wale 14. The fabric section 13 will thus possess single terminal loops formed of yarn connecting one course with its succeeding course, which single loops interengage and herein alternate with double terminal loops of the other section of fabric occurring in the same wale and furthermore a single terminal loop of the section 13 will be at one end of a course of which a double 100 forms the terminal loop at the other In the carrying out of the steps of the method of this invention 1 preferably employ a circular series of knitting instruments or needles of a number consistent with the diameter of the work .to be performed. These needles are divided into two substantiall. equal series (see Fig. 2), one being mar ed 0 and constituting the primary or short butt needles, so-called, upon which the fabric section 12 is knitted, the other being marked B and constituting the instep or long butt needles. upon which the fabric section 13 is knitted, the end needles D and E of the former group preferably functioning as suture needles upon which the wales Hand 14' are knitted.

The mechanism of the machine employed in carrying out the steps of this invention is fully disclosed in the said original application. The cams and pickers also are arranged as in said application and their opera ation in so far as they concern the present invention are as follows:

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, which like Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is an inside elevation of the knitting cams, the machine which is especially equipped to knit hosiery is about to effect circu ar knitting, the needle cylinder upon which the needles are carried moves in the direction of the arrow in said tigure causing all of.the needles to travel ong a path indicated by the dotted line A, both long and short butts passing a stitch cam 41 of the primary knitting earns 36 thence under a guide cam 43 and stitch cam 40 to form the usual knitting wale.

.After leaving the cam 41 the needles are raised by an; incline 131 to the normallevel A along which all of the needles pass until they engage the first stitch cam 62 of the secondary set of cams 61, this cam being formation of split fabric or a heel pocket is being knitted,the mechanism fully disclosed in said original application is set into motion to change from rotary to reciprocatory'and simultaneouslyto raise theinste cam 27 to its upper position as shown in Fig. 4 but the needle cylinder continues in its forward direction until all of the long butt needles B have passed said instep cam and have been elevated thereby, Fig. 4 showing the arrangment of the long butt needles B and the short butt needles 0 immediately prior to the first reverse movement of the needle cylinder, the direction of which is indicated by the arrow in said Fi 4. v

The next step for w ich the aforesaid machine is particularly adapted is narrow.- ing for a heel pocket at which time the long butt needles indicated at B are in their upper elevated position and idle. At this time it is desirable that the central guide cam 65 all of the secondary set of cams be withdrawn far enough to allow said long butt needles to pass along the idle level B withoutinterference.

Continued reciprocations of the needle cylinder result in the gradual raising of the leading short butt needles by means of narrowing pickers 50 until the desired number of courses have been knitted, whereupon widening pickers 108 and 109 which up to this time have been held out of action are with the machine having completed its last' reciprocation of the heel and with the needle cylinder just about to start on a reverse movement as shown by the arrow in said Fig. 4, the cam 65 being now in its operative gsition, the first short butt needle marked passes along the lower level to the first narrowing picker 50' and is raised thereby to 1 the level of the idle long butt needles B forming the tail needle of said idle series, which needles, however, cease to be idle. upon epproaching and passing the secondary knitting cams. By elevating the needle D to the position mentioned it is prevented from receiving yarn from the primary yarn guide.

The needle cylinder during reciprocating knitting makes approximately a rotation in each direction, hence said elevated short butt needle D, together with all of the long butt needles B, will pass into engagement with the cam 65 and will be caused to pass below said cam and below the stitch cam .62, thereby receiving yarn from the secondary yarn feed and casting the same to form loops.

On the next forward movement, assuming the cam to be in the position shown in Fig. 5, the needles movifigi'n the direction'of the arrowin said Fig. 5, approach and pass the primary knitting cams 36 and in so doing the leading suture needle E engages the narrowing picks 50 and is raised thereby to the upper level and forms the tail needle of the long butt series B. The needles of this series B travel along the upper level and engage the cam being depressed thereby beneath the secondary stitch. cam 63 causing all of the needles of this seriesto take yarn and form stitches including the needle E.

After passing the cam 63 the long butt needles B pass along the incline 132 and over the instep cam 27 back to the upper level but, by reason of the fact that the cam 27 is away from the face of the needle cylinder,

the short butt needle E passes up the incline 132 and along the top of the annular portion 4 which is the normal level for the short butt needles, thus joining the needles of the short butt series which following the raising of said needle E, passes through the primary cams 36 receiving primary yarn and forming loops in the usual order.

The needle E, however, does not, during the forward movement shown in Fig. 5 move far enough to again engage the picker 50 because the needle cylinder reverses before such can take lace, consequently said needle E will, upon the next return movement. pass through the primary knitting cam 36 as the tail needle of the primary series C and take its yarn in the usual manner interknitting,

the loops formed of the regular yarn with that previously formed from the secondary yarn. In other Words applying the operations just described to the fabric of Fig. 1, which is an outside view of the fabric, the needles C travelling in the reverse direction of Fig. 4 and in the direction of the arrow a of Fig. 1, produce the loops 12 and 17, while the secondary needles B simultaneously produce the loops of the wales 13 together with the loops 15, the needle D which is at this time passing as the tail needle of the secondary group taking yarn from the secondary yarn guide while the needle E at this time passes with and trails the;

short butt series and the one upon which the loop 17 was knitted, will be raised by the picker 50 to the idle position just as 'itis again approaching the primary yarn feed but from an opposite direction. This causes the primary yarn to be wound about the shank of the needle E so as to form the second loop 18' which serves as the connecting strand for the course of loops just knitted and the succeeding course of loops beginning with theloop 19, the latter course terminating in the loops 17 and 18 at the opposite side of the fabric section 12 and of the wale 14, these loops 17 and 18 being substantially the same as the loops 17 and 18 -just'described although at'the other margin of the section 12. The elevating of the needle E makes it the tail.

needle of the secondary series, causing it to take the secondary yarn of the section 13 and it is over and upon this yarn that the two loops 17 and 18' are cast, thereby efiecting the uniting or interknitting of the terminal loop 16 of the fabric section 12 with the terminal loop 15 of the fabric section 13.

Following the completion of the loop 17 which is the last loop to be knitted upon the primary needles of the course indicated by the arrow b, the needle cylinder is reversed and caused tomove in the direction of the arroW,'Fig. 6, or in the direction of the arrow c of Fig. 1 and as the leading needle D of the short butt of primary needles approaches the primary cams, it will be elevated by the picker 50 at the left hand side of the earns 36 thus wrapping the yarn from the primary yarn guide around said needle to form the loop 18. At this elevation the needle D passes as the tail needle of the secondary series, through the secondary cams, taking secondary yarn and producing the single loop 15 which will be interknit with the needles C and come to rest at a point just beyond saidcam 127.

The cylinder in its next movement which is forward and in the direction of the arrow d, Fig. 1, carries the primary needles into engagement with the primary cams 36. The needle E being the leading needle at this time is elevated and forms the loop '18 and later on in the same course interknits the loop 18 and the loop 17' with the loop 15' while the needle D follows along as the last needle of said short butt series taking .primary yarns as usual and producing the last loop 17 of the series and in this manner the knitting operations are continued until the split fabric has been completed, knitting a double loop first at one side of one of the fabric sections, preferably the section 12 and then at the opposite side thereof but in the next course and at the same time knitting a single loop at the opposite end of the course having the double loop of the first instance and a like loop at the opposite side of the fabric in the next course directly opposite to the double loop of the second instance.

When the split fabric section iscompleted the next step in the present example is to form a toe pocket which is herein effected by withdrawing the cam 65 and permitting the instep needles of the series B merely to idle along the upper level while the needles of the short butt series C pass through the primary cams and are picked up in their usual order for narrowing and subsequently picked down by the widenlng pickers until the narrowing and widening courses have been completed.

The term double strand needle loop is employed in the claims to mean each loop 17, 18, or 17, 18, and the term single strandloop is employed in the claims to mean each loop 15 or 15'.

In the foregoing description a particular order of knitting the heel, instep and toe portions of the stocking foot has been described but it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to this with one of said yarns of which the first order for obviously the order may be reversed or the machine may be utilized for knitting other than stockings and furthermore it is very common in h'osiery construction to knit a high splice preceding the formation of the heel pocket and it is within the scope and purpose of the invention to so knit the high splice in connection with the stocking foot herein described.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims:

1. That method of knitting split fabric, having a suture seam composed of alternate single .and double strand loops, which consists in knittin simultaneously upon two sets of needles from diflerent yarns and in causing the terminal needles of one of said sets to knit two loops in the same course loop is uniform in size and shape with the loo s of the fabric outside the suture seam, an to knit one loop only from the other 2. That method of knitting split fabric which consists in knitting upon two sets of needles from different yarns and in causing the terminal needles of one of said sets to receive yarn twice in succession from the same feed, then to receive yarn once only from the other feed in a course and in casting said two yarns over said single yarn and repeating this action in every two courses at each edge of each fabric section, thereby interknitting in each course one edge of each fabric section with the next fabric section.

3. That method of knitting split fabric which consists in knitting reciprocatingly upon two series of needles to form doublestrand loops from one yarn upon the terminal needles of one of said series and single strand loops only of another yarn and in interknitting said double strand loops with the single strand loop of said other yarn in the same wale and repeating this action in every twocourses at each edge of each fabric section, thereb interknitting in each course one edge 0 eachifabric section with the next fabric section.

4. That method of knitting split fabric which includes the simultaneous knitting upon two series of needles with different yarns to form two series of loops, then in reversing the movement of the needles and causing the now leading needle of one of said series to receive yarn from its respective yarn feed without casting its loop and to ta e yarn from the yarn feed of the other series of needles and casting thereoverv to effect the knitting of alternate double strand terminal loops of one distinct yarn and only single strand terminal loops of the other distinct yarn in the same Wale.

5. That method of knitting split fabric having a suture seam composed of alternate single and double strand loops which consists in knitting simultaneously upon two separate sets of needles from different yarns, in causing the terminal needles of one of 'said sets to knit first as the tail needle of that set receiving its regular yarn, then in reversin the movement of said series to cause said tail needle to act as the leading needle of its set, then in raising said leading needle to its idle position and causing its regular yarn to be wrapped about the stem thereof, then upon continued movement of said needles in the same direction in causing said needle to receive yarn of the other set of needles and to cast the loop thereon over said yarn and efiecting the iuterknitting of a double strand loop of one yarn with only i a single strand loop of the other yarn and repeating this action in every two courses at each edge of each fabric section, thereb interknitting in each course one edge of eac fabric section with the next fabric section. 6. That method of knitting split fabric upon a circular series of needles arranged in two sets, the terminal needle at, each end "of one of said sets together constituting two suture needles, which consists in supplying distinct yarns to said sets of needles, and knitting simultaneously reciprocatingly upon said needles from said yarns, and in causing the said suture needles to knit first with one of said yarns, so as to form only a single loop therein, and then in the next course in the same wale to form a loop and a partial loop with the other of said distinct yarns.

7. That method of knitting split fabric upon a circular series of needles arranged in two sets, the terminal needle at each end of one of said sets together constituting two suture needles, which consists in supplying distinct yarns to said sets of needles, and knitting simultaneously reciprocatingly upon said needles from said yarns, and in causing the said suture needles each to receive the same identical yarn twice in succession from the same feed, then to receive the other distinct yarn once only from the other feed, and in each instance casting said two yarns over said'sing'le yarn, and in so doing interknitting in each course one edge of each fabric section with the next fabric section.

8. That method of knitting split fabric upon a circular series of needles arranged in two sets, the terminal needle at each end of one of said sets together constituting two suture needles, which consists in supplying distinct yarns to said sets of needles and knitting simultaneously reciprocatingly upon said needles from said yarns, and in causing the said suture needles each to receive the same identical yarn twice in succession from the same feed, but in alternate courses, then to receive the other distinct yarn once only from the other feed but in alternate courses, and in each such instance casting said two yarns over said single yarn, and in so doing interknitting in each course one edge of each fabric section with the next fabric section.

9. That method of knitting upon a circular series of needles arranged in two sets, whereof each end needle of one of said sets constitutes a suture needle, which consists in knitting from a single yarn circularly,

upon the entire series of needles to form circular work, and then with said work still upon the needles supplying one yarn to one of said sets of needles, and a separate yarn to the other set thereof and relatively reciprocating said needles and yarns, and cans ing the said suture needles knit first with of said sets of needles, and a separate yarn to the other set thereof and relatively reciprocating said needles and yarns, and in causing the suture needles to receive the same identical one of said yarns twice in succession, then to receive the other or separate yarn once onl and to cast both said yarns over said sing e yarn and in so doing interknitting in each course one edge of each fabric section with the other fabric section.

11. That method of knitting upon 'a circular series of needles arranged in two sets, whereof each end needle of one of said sets constitutes a suture needle, which consists in knitting from a single'yarn circularly upon the entire series of needles to form circular work, and then with said work still upon theneedles supplying one yarn to one of said sets of needles, and a separate yarn to the other set thereof and relatively reciprocating said needles and'yarns, and in causing each of the suture needles to receive the same identical one of said yarns twice in succession in the same course, then in the causing the terminal needles 0 one of said sets to knit two loops in the same course with one of said yarns, of which two loops the second is a partial loop having substantially the same length as the first of said two loops and extending from the base of \the first of said two loops to the base. of the next loop in the next course, and then to ,knit one loop with the other of said yarns and in so doin interknitting in each course one edgeof eac fabric section with the other fabric sect-ion, and whereby in each suture seam there exists in any given course a loop and a partial loop of one yarn, and in the preceding or subsequent course a single loop I onl of the other arm. I

n testimony w ereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

I AUGUSTIN GAGNE. 

